Alessandra was reflecting on the provision of God when she crawled into bed on that Sunday evening but was awakened with an entirely different scenario.
A loud clap of thunder bombarded Alessandra’s sleep with such force that she sat up in bed in the middle of her dream. At first, she couldn’t remember where she was, but the second crash jogged her memory. Rob had warned her before she went to her room for the night that a tropical storm seemed to be brewing.
The next flash of lightning was preceded by a loud crack and followed almost instantaneously by the most incredible boom of thunder she had ever heard in her life. The vigorous shaking of the earth made Alessandra think that for sure that their property had been struck. The next second, a crash and a thud of a different sort reached her ears.
“That must’ve been a tree falling,” Alessandra said out loud, “Though it didn’t sound as if it hit anything but the ground.” But despite the storm, she was able to return to calm and sleep.
No matter if the storms of life are literal or emotional or traumatic, God offers Himself as a refuge, a place of safety of calm. Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Your word.” Though Alessandra was managing the fears of a real, tropical storm, she knew she could find peace in her relationship with a strong God. No matter what our problem, God is our security, confidence, and hope.
